Title: "With This Ring"

Summary: Wedding bells finally ring for Sam and Jack

Rating: PG13 - Sexual Situations

Sam shook her head as she headed to her lab. At some point they had been organized. There had been a plan. They'd been granted two weeks of downtime, choosing to take one week before the wedding, and one after for their honeymoon. They should have known it would never work out that way.

They had headed home late the Friday before with a sigh of relief. All paperwork had been turned in, and all lab projects turned over to either Area 51 or to one of the other scientists at the SGC. They had started out their weekend calling around to each of the out-of-town relatives to finalize their travel plans. On Saturday afternoon they had stopped in at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort to confirm the number attending the reception, and to finalize the room reservations. The resort had been able to give them all of the rooms on the same floor, plus of course the Honeymoon suite for the wedding night. All of the reception plans were in place, so Saturday at least had ended up being a very productive day. On Sunday, they had spent the morning getting the house in order, and then Sam had headed out shopping to pick up things she needed for the honeymoon.

She had been quite happy with her purchases that day. The black bikini she had originally purchased five months ago had gotten too snug, so she had replaced it with one that showed off her new curvy figure perfectly. She had also ordered that Minnesota Wild jersey that she had joked about with Janet, Cassie and her future month-in-law, so she stopped and picked it up from the sporting goods store. The she headed to Victoria's Secret. It wouldn't be long before she would be in maternity clothes, so she figured she might as well treat herself (and Jack) to something sexy to wear on her wedding night. She also picked up a couple of pairs of lacy underpants to wear under the jersey and a few other surprises to keep him on his toes.

She had just returned home, when Jack's pager went off. He was needed back on base to help organize a rescue party. SG5 had not checked in on time, and Hammond had dialed them up to check on their status. They had been caught in a rockslide, and only the young Captain on the team was conscious to report their situation. He thought he had a broken shoulder, but other than that was fine. One of his teammates was unconscious but appeared stable. His CO, and the other team member were buried under the rubble, although he had briefly made contact with his CO, who said his leg was pinned, and he was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Sam automatically jumped into the truck with Jack as he headed for base, which was a good thing because her pager went off minutes later. The first medical team through reported that the DHD had also taken a hit in the slide, and they would probably need a generator to allow them to dial home more than once.

By the time the two of them had reached the base, the heavy equipment needed for the rescue was being assembled, and a team being put together. Jack broke his own record for gearing up and then went to take charge. Shortly after the rescue team dialed out, the medical team manually dialed in to transport Captain Steffens and Lieutenant Hunter back to the infirmary. Steffens had been able to show the rescue team the last known location of his teammates before heading back.

That had been two days ago. While the rescue crew had worked on digging out the two missing officers, Sam had quickly assembled and tested a naquadah generator and then had sent it though with a couple of her techs to set it up. They were all ready by the time the rescue team had secured the body of Captain Hunter, and the severely injured but alive Lt. Colonel Buckman. Unfortunately, Buckman's leg had been crushed beyond repair, and it had been amputated twelve hours after their return.

Jack had been sequestered with the General for the rest of the day on Tuesday. They had families to notify, and two team members to replace. Sam had spent the day putting together a second generator, and securing it with Sgt. Siler in case it was needed while she was gone. When Jack finally finished up with the General they were debating the merits of going home, when Hammond insisted that they use one of the VIP suites. Sam's ultrasound was scheduled for in the morning, and they would need to be back on base for that anyway.

Now it was Wednesday, and she was alternating between nervousness and excitement. She had headed down to her lab to ensure that everything was shut down so they could leave right after her appointment. It wasn't long before Jack joined her there, having cleared his desk again.

"Ready for your first baby pictures?" he grinned.

"I can't wait," she admitted, shutting down her PC with a sigh.

They headed down to infirmary hand in hand, ignoring the small smiles from the passing personnel. Ten minutes later Sam had changed into a pair of blue infirmary pajamas, and was getting her vitals taken by Janet.

"Sam, you are doing really well. You've gained back all of the weight that you lost, plus four pounds," she happily announced.

"You don't need to tell me," Sam grimaced. "I'm starting to worry about my wedding dress not fitting!"

Soon Dr. Peterson had the ultrasound set up and after spreading the cold gel over Sam's abdomen, she started trying to find a good angle to view Baby O'Neill. For the moment the screen was turned away from Sam and Jack, so they waited anxiously holding hands while the two doctors tweaked settings and maneuvered the paddle a couple of times. Finally they stopped and Dr. Peterson pointed something out to Janet.

"What's wrong?" Sam immediately asked.

"Nothing," Dr. Person assured them with a smile. I just want Dr. Fraiser to check when you had your last shot of Depro-Provera. We may be off a bit on your conception date."

Sure enough, Janet returned with Sam's file and a calendar and the two doctors consulted for a moment. Then they turned the screen towards Sam and Jack with matching smiles that helped the couple relax. Sam looked at the screen, but was a bit confused by the image.

"So let me tell you what we have here," Dr Peterson began. "Sam, you conceived about 11 weeks after you went off of the birth control. Next time I would recommend that you use alternate birth control for at least 16 weeks before you try to conceive to let your hormone levels go back to normal."

"Is that why my levels have been high?" Sam asked.

"In a round about way. They tend to go into overdrive after stopping taking any hormone based birth control, and there are studies that have shown an increase in multiple births for conception in the first three months after stopping. It's not normally too much of a problem with the Depro-Provera as it wears off over time, and it usually takes longer than three months for a woman to be able to conceive after their last shot. We think that your unique body chemistry made it less effective more quickly. Anyway, what we have here on the screen is O'Neill baby number one," she said pointing to an obvious heartbeat, "and O'Neill baby number two," she continued moving her finger to where another steady pulse appeared. "Both babies look perfectly normal for 14 weeks along, about a week further than we originally thought."

Sam felt Jack's grip on her hand tighten, and she quickly looked from the screen to his startled face, and then back at the screen again.

"Twins?" two shocked voices inquired simultaneously.

They had gotten a printout of the ultrasound, and told Janet they were going to keep this to themselves for a few days, then they'd made their escape from the mountain. They were halfway home when Jack's shock gave way to a chuckle. Sam looked up from the picture in her hand in amazement.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked, confused by his sudden mirth.

"Twins? Did you feel two was necessary to keep up your wonder woman image?" he teased.

"It's not funny," she complained, although she found her panic lessening and her lips started to curve up in spite of herself. "Aren't you at all concerned?"

He instantly sobered. "I'm concerned about you and the babies. Having one baby is no cakewalk. Having two, well it's got to be twice as hard. But as long as you are healthy and they are healthy, then no, the thought of two doesn't really bother me," he admitted. "It's kind of nice. I'm certainly not getting any younger, and this will jumpstart our family. Besides, we can handle anything together. And we will have plenty of help," he assured her.

Sam knew he was right, but she still was overwhelmed at the thought. As they pulled into the driveway she turned to him and confessed, "It's just that I have *no* idea what I'm doing. Now I'll have double the chance of screwing up."

"Well, I can't say I have a lot of experience with twins. I was only seven when Colleen and Eileen were born. But Sara did make sure that I was a pretty hands-on father. When I was around that is," he told her.

"Thank goodness. I was trying to imagine going to Teal'c for advice," Sam quipped as she started to relax. It did help that at least Jack had done this before.

"Teal'c? Why Teal'c for crying out loud?" Jack questioned her in dismay.

"Well, Janet has never had a baby, although she will be a great help if they are ill. And while Daniel seems to have mastered delivering babies, he has never cared for one that I know of. Teal'c does have experience," she explained.

"Yeah, but not with bottle warmers and disposable diapers. You would have more luck going to Hammond," Jack pointed out.

"Well, I'm glad I won't have to. I'll have you to show me the ropes," she said. Aware that the subject might be bringing up old memories she was watching him closely.

And Jack was remembering, but they were good memories. Charlie splashing in the bathtub and the wonderful smell of him when he was clean, dry and powdered. And an image of him as a newborn snuggled into Jack's shoulder as he was rocked to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. He was so looking forward to being around more to enjoy those moments this time. Sam was relieved to see Jack smiling at her.

"Stick with me. I'll have you bathing and diapering like a pro in no time," he promised her.

She looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. "So Dr. Spock, is there anything I should be doing now?"

"You only have two priorities at this point, food and plenty of rest. So go put your feet up while I check the mail and phone messages, then we'll decide what to have to eat," he told her as he led her to the couch. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Jack, I'm pregnant not crippled. I can get it," she protested.

"Sit, Sam. That's an order. Here, there are a couple of science journals that came in the mail. Relax and read," he pleaded.

Sam had to admit that she was tired. She slipped off her shoes and settled in with an article on cloning research. She only managed one paragraph before she dozed off. When she woke up, there was blanket thrown over her, and it was very quiet in the house. She got up in search of her soon-to-be husband, and found him staring into the doorway of the smaller spare bedroom.

"What's up?" she asked, wrapping an arm around his waist and wiggling into the doorway to see what he was looking at.

"I'm trying to decide if we can fit two cribs, a changing table, a dresser and a rocking chair in here. I know the upstairs spare room is bigger, but this room is right across from our bedroom and it's much more convenient. I was also thinking that in a year or two we are going to need a bigger house," he explained.

"Now who's thinking too much?" she teased. "I think this room will work. Babies clothes don't need a huge dresser, so we could get a corner armoire that won't take up much room. And as for the rest, we can always add onto this house if we want. We have plenty of time to think about it," she argued. "Now let's get some food. I'm starved."

"Well you are eating for three," he acknowledged with a grin.

They spent the evening packing two sets of bags. One small overnight bag for their wedding night and several bags of things they wanted to take to the cabin. Sam had wrapped all of sexy lingerie in tissue so Jack couldn't see it, and the Minnesota Wild jersey had been folded up inside a pair of jeans so it was also not visible. Then they had gone to bed and made love. They fell asleep content for the moment that everything would be just fine.

Thursday morning found them up bright and early ready to run all of the errands that had been neglected over the last three days. By mid-afternoon they felt like they had everything back under control, and they headed off together to pick up Jack's parents at the airport. While the siblings were all flying in at various times the next day, the O'Neills and Jacob were arriving a day early so they could all go out to dinner and they could meet each other, something Jack was a little nervous about.

He needn't have been. Jacob got on well with the O'Neills, and Selmac never made a peep. The only awkward moment had been when Charles had asked Jacob what he was doing with himself now that he was retired. Jacob had covered nicely, repeating the story that the Air Force had come up with and describing in a vague manner how he was "consulting". He even lamented that the only bad part was not being able to see his children and grandchildren more often. Charles had sympathized. With three of his children living in different states, he didn't get to see them often either.

Friday dawned dark and stormy. The good news was that once this band of storms passed by it was supposed to be picture perfect for the next three days. The bad news was that flights were delayed and Jack and Sam were kept busy trying to keep up with new arrival times, and ferrying the newcomers to the hotel when they finally made it into town. Thankfully they had rented several large SUV's for the weekend that were capable of handling the families and their luggage, so when Patrick and Colleen's families ended up arriving within 10 minutes of each other, Sam and Jack each drove a vehicle to pick them up. By 15:00 everyone had made it to the hotel except for Sam's brother Mark and his family. Before they headed back to the airport Jack noticed Sam looking a bit pale.

"You need to rest. We still have a long evening ahead of us with the rehearsal and you'll want to be able to enjoy it. Take a nap and I'll go pick them up," he suggested.

"Jack, you don't even know what my brother looks like," Sam protested.

"So I'll stop by the resort and pick up your Dad. He wanted to go originally anyway before things got crazy," Jack told her. "Now go take a nap."

Sam should have been upset that he was treating her like an invalid, but frankly it was nice to have him looking after her. She was still tiring easily and Jack was quick to pick up on the signs and make sure she didn't overdo it. And he'd been cooking. Well, throwing together a salad, and cooking something on the grill, so at least she was eating healthier than take-out. She really could get used to this treatment she thought as she slipped into sleep.

Meanwhile, Jack and Jacob were meeting the very weary stragglers at the airport. Mark was too tired to do more than basic introductions, but he spent the ride to the resort trying to size up Jack O'Neill. When they got back to the hotel he cornered Jacob.

"You didn't tell me he was old enough to be Sam's father," he complained.

"Don't exaggerate, Mark. He is only 12 years older than Sam is. I met him a year after he became Sam's CO. He had brown hair then. I think your sister is to blame for a lot of the gray," he explained with a chuckle.

"Still, he's way too old for her. She could do much better," Mark objected.

"I'll be the first to admit that Jack has his faults. But I think you're wrong about her being able to do better. Jack is a good man," Jacob told his son.

"You really like him?" Mark asked, still uncertain.

"Yeah. He aggravates the heck out of me, but I like him. I even respect him," Jacob admitted with a grin. "But if you ever tell him that I will deny it. Besides, don't you think it's a bit too late to be putting in your two cents? They're getting married in twenty-four hours, and they're expecting a baby for Pete's sake," Jacob chastised his son.

"Ok, ok. I get the picture. I will give the guy a chance. But if he ever does anything to hurt her..." Mark warned.

"You will have to stand in line to have your turn at him. Your sister has quite a lot of people who are very protective of her. Wait until you meet Teal'c," Jacob assured him.

The rehearsal that evening was a casual, fun affair. All of the O'Neills, and Carters along with Janet, Cassie, Teal'c, Daniel, Jonas Quinn and General Hammond met up at the Cadet chapel at the Academy where the ceremony was going to be held. Sam and Jack had discussed having it elsewhere, since they really were just inviting family. But then had decided that even though the SGC staff was not invited to the actual reception (they were having a separate gathering on base the next day) they should all be invited to attend the ceremony if they wished. And besides, General Kerrigan had insisted that Sam, as a graduate of the Academy, should be married there.

Sam had requested that a friend of the family be allowed to officiate, which had worked out well. Father Joseph Downing was an Air Force chaplain that had known her father for years. He even knew General Hammond. The fact that he was a Catholic priest had pleased the O'Neills as well. For his part, Father Joe had been happy to oblige. It had been way too long since he had seen his old friends, and he was looking forward to seeing the two younger Carters again. He had presided over Marie Carter's funeral, and had managed to keep in touch with Jacob, but he had not seen their children again since that day. He had been pleasantly surprised when he had gotten the request, and even more thrilled when he had flown to Colorado Springs several weeks ago to meet with the bride and groom. Samantha had grown into a beautiful and confident woman that her mother would be proud of.

In keeping with the casual air of the evening, once they had walked through the logistics of the ceremony, they all descended on a local pizza place to have dinner. After they'd eaten, the lively mood continued. Sam was holding reign over the pool table taking on all challengers, and teaching her future niece Maggie and Mark's son Will the finer points of the game. Jack had the rest of the kids organized into a lively card game (Heaven only knew where the cards had come from) and the rest of the adults were sitting around chatting. Mark Carter started to relax as the evening wore on. He saw what his father meant about Sam being protected. She had obviously close relationships with the three men that had been introduced as teammates, and he was happy to notice that her fiancé seemed to be ok with that. By the end of the evening the three separate families were all mingling happily.

Since a large portion of the group was jet-lagged and the guys had early tee times in the morning, the party broke up at a reasonable hour. Sam and Jack parted ways reluctantly much to the amusement of their family and friends.

"Come on Son, you'll see her tomorrow. It's not as if she's moving across the galaxy," Charles teased at their prolonged kiss.

Sam hid her laughter in Jack's shoulder, which prompted him to issue a warning. "Major!" he reprimanded trying to be stern.

"I know, Sir. Sorry, Sir. Ceasing the giggling now, Sir!" she said, stepping out of his arms to give him a sloppy salute.

On hearing her words Mark turned to look at her in shock. He remembered vividly visiting his sister to meet her then fiancé Jonas Hanson and hating the way she gave into his demands. But when he looked at Sam he saw a twinkle in her eye and he noticed that Jack O'Neill was also grinning. He had obviously missed something. He looked at his father for an explanation.

"Don't look at me. It must be a private joke. Care to share Sam?" Jacob inquired.

Sam looked at Jack with a wicked gleam in her eye. "Well it all has to do with..." was as far as she got before Jack interrupted.

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't go there. Unless you want me to recount some of your more noteworthy moments of the last six years," he warned her.

"Shutting up now. Janet, let's go home. I have it on good authority that tomorrow is going to be a big day," Sam relented.

Sam was opting for tradition by staying over with Janet and Cassie, thereby not seeing Jack again until she walked down the aisle to become his wife. Daniel, Teal'c and Jonas would be crashing with Jack and they would be meeting up with the rest of the golfers at the resort in the morning. Then while Jack checked into the Honeymoon suite to get showered and dressed, Teal'c, Jonas and Daniel would go pick up the three ladies and take them to the chapel. That would give the girls plenty of time to get dressed in the bride's room, and the three ushers would be available to greet any early guests. Despite their good intentions of getting a solid night of sleep, Janet, Cassie and Sam were still chatting several hours after they got home.

"Are you nervous?" Cassie asked.

"Sort of. But mostly just about everything going all right tomorrow, not really about getting married. I just have this fear that there will be some galactic calamity and we will never get to say 'I Do'," Sam admitted.

"So no cold feet?" Janet pressed.

"Strangely, no. I think that the two of us have been through so much together that in some ways we already have a bond that is stronger than marriage," Sam explained.

"It is kind of freaky how you two can communicate with just a look," Janet acknowledged.

"Soul mates," Cassie agreed nodding.

"It's nice to know true love still exists in the world. Gives us singles hope," Janet sighed.

"Mmm, like hoping that Major Conners will ask you dance on Sunday?" Sam teased.

Cassie immediately perked up. "Who is Major Conners?"

"General Hammond's new Chief of Staff. He's very nice, and offered to organize the SGC reception. Your mom has been spending a lot of time with him." Sam revealed.

"I've been helping with the party planning," Janet protested.

"Sure you have," Sam challenged, causing her friend to glare at her.

"Oh my god!" Cassie exclaimed in delight. "Is he cute?"

"You'll have to come to the reception on Sunday and meet him," Sam told her with a shrug.

Cassie had been non-committal about attending the SGC event, but now her curiosity was peaked.

"Of course I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world, Sam," Cassie vowed giving her mother an innocent smile.

Janet was too busy giving Sam her best threatening look to notice. Meanwhile, Sam was trying to look as innocent as Cassie and failing miserably. Finally she just laughed out loud and decided to change the subject.

"Well, I have a hot date tomorrow, so I guess I had better go get some rest. Our appointments at the salon are at 10:00 so at least we can sleep in a bit," she said getting to her feet.

"No problem here," Cassie commented. "It's you and Mom that have ridiculous body clocks."

"Not anymore. I swear I can sleep the clock around now that I'm pregnant," Sam complained.

"That will ease up soon," Janet promised. "Once you make it past about the fourth month you should have plenty of energy again. At least until you get too big to sleep comfortably."

"Oh, great. So much fun to look forward to," Sam groaned as she made her way to Janet's guestroom.

True to her word, Sam slept until 9:00 and then lay in bed for a few minutes to let the reality wash over her. Today was her wedding day.

General Kerrigan and his wife had attended their fair share of weddings at the Cadet Chapel, but they had never seen anything like the sea of Air Force blue that filled the pews that afternoon. Not only because of the shear volume of people that were packed into the chapel, but because of the makeup of the officers. Far from the fresh out of the academy young officers that normally made up the guests at weddings held here, the men and women attending today were an array of higher ranking officers, including, to General Kerrigan's surprise, General John Jumper, Chief of Staff of the Air Force. That brought the total of number of generals to four, and then there were the impressive number of Colonels and Majors. There were even a group of Marines. He wasn't surprised when his wife turned to him with a raised eyebrow and inquired "Just who are the bride and groom again?" He'd always known whatever Samantha Carter was involved in, it was important, now he had even more evidence.

Meanwhile, in an anteroom provided for the bridal party, Janet and Cassie were just finishing up getting dressed when there was a knock at the door. Since Sam was still in her robe, choosing to wait until the last minute to step into her dress, Janet cautiously peaked out to see Maureen, Kathleen and Anna.

"Come on in," she invited. "We were just wondering if Sam should finish getting dressed or wait a few more minutes."

"Wow, I love the dresses!" Kathleen exclaimed to Janet and Cassie. "We came back to make sure everything was under control and to let you know that they are starting to seat the stragglers. Jacob and Jack are in the back, and Daniel and Teal'c are about to join them. Jonas is going to finish seating us," she explained.

"So everything is under control out there?" Sam asked cautiously. As they had arrived at the chapel an hour ago it had suddenly dawned on her that she was leaving two aliens and a recently descended, slightly confused anthropologist in charge of receiving the wedding guests.

"Yeah, I expected Jack to be a wreck, but he and your Dad were out front greeting people for quite a while and he was relaxed and happy," Kathleen informed them.

Sam looked over to Janet with a sigh of relief. That would because she had made Janet call him on his cell phone and point out that his family was about to be seated by the three stooges. Jack had grabbed Jacob and hurried to the chapel in time to be there before any of the other guests.

"Well, Sam just needs to step into her dress and shoes. And put the flowers in her hair," Janet said turning to take Sam's dress off the hanger. Five minutes later the bride was standing in front of the mirror as Kathleen tweaked her train, and Janet made sure the wreath of roses in her hair were secure.

As Cassie handed her the bouquet, Anna whispered, "Aunt Sam, you look beautiful."

"Thank you Anna. I *feel* beautiful," Sam admitted with a big grin.

"Janet, Cassie, Maureen, and Kathleen could only nod their agreement as they fought back tears. The simple satin off-the-shoulder white dress was truly breathtaking. The only adornment on the entire dress was a scattering of rosebuds that adorned the train, embroidered in the palest of pink. Several pink rosebuds were entwined with the white roses that made up the wreath atop her head, and six pink roses were mixed in with the white ones of her bouquet. She wore a string of her mother's pearls around her neck, and pearl earrings that Jack had given her as a wedding present to match.

Maureen O'Neill was the first to find her voice. "You are stunning, Samantha. My son is not going to know what hit him. Now, I'll go hunt down your father and let him know you are ready for him," she said giving her very soon-to-be daughter-in-law a careful hug.

Kathleen and Anna went to be seated, while Maureen went to find the male members of the bridal party. She was just as bowled over by them as she had been by the ladies. Jacob and Jack in their dress blues, medals gleaming, were complimented nicely by Daniel and Teal'c in midnight blue tuxedos.

After giving her eldest son a big hug, she turned to Jacob. "Your daughter is ready. Be prepared to have your breath taken away. She looks incredible," Maureen warned him.

"How is Sam holding up," Jack asked in concern.

"She's positively glowing, Jack. Now, I'd better get seated so you can marry her before you implode with excitement," she teased as Jack was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

He gave her a lop-sided grin and a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks, Mom,"

Before he knew it, Jack was standing at the front of the chapel watching as first Cassie and then Janet walked towards him, both positively lovely in lavender dresses. Cassie looked so grown up that he found it hard to believe that the beautiful young woman was the same girl that they had found lost and alone on Hanka just six years before. Then his attention was riveted on the vision in white that had just entered the church on her father's arm and was floating down the aisle towards him. Suddenly, he felt a poke in his ribs and Daniel was whispering in his ear, "Breath, Jack."

He realized that he had indeed been holding his breath, afraid that if he dared to exhale he would wake up from what was surely a dream. After all, he had imagined this scene dozens of times before when his subconscious had betrayed the carefully constructed denial that his conscious mind had built up over the years. Sam's hand felt real enough though as Jacob placed it in his, and he could feel the grin on his face growing in response to her blinding smile, so this must be the real thing. It was with a sigh of relief that he turned to make his vows.

Father Joe had been happy when they had settled on using traditional vows. He always felt a sense of continuity when couples used the words that had been repeated for generations. He had been even more pleased when both the bride and the groom had each come to him with one special line they wanted to add. It showed that they took the vows seriously.

And so six years and five months after Sam had first walked into the briefing room to meet her new CO, Sam Carter and Jack O'Neill vowed to love and honor each other, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. Jack also promised Sam that he would 'Always care for her a lot more than he was supposed to', while Sam vowed 'To never leave him behind'. While some of their family and friends might not have understood the significance of those promises, those who had fought by their side in a secret war were moved by the appropriateness of the words.

The rest of the service flew by, and soon Father Joe pronounced them man and wife. Jack and Sam turned to each other and paused, both wanting to indelibly impress this first moment as husband and wife into their memories. Finally Daniel cleared his throat and demanded, "Just kiss already!"

And they did, to the whoops and applause of all of those in attendance, many of whom had been waiting for more than six years to see this day. After the ceremony, the wedding party, Jacob and Jack's parents, along with General Hammond remained behind to greet those not attending the family reception today. The rest of their family went back to the resort to have appetizers and drinks in the banquet hall. Charles and Maureen were introduced to an overwhelming number of officers and a few civilian scientists, who all had nothing but the best wishes for their son and daughter-in-law. However they were truly left speechless when they were introduced to General Jumper, and he offered his congratulations along with those of the President and First Lady.

Finally the bride and groom were ready to head to their awaiting car, but when they stepped outside they were met by an archway of swords, the length of which stunned them. At the head of the two lines were the four Generals grinning broadly. Laughing the two officers passed under the long passageway of raised steel to join Janet, Cassie, Daniel and Teal'c in the bridal party's stretch limo. Jack was instantly handed a glass of champagne, while Sam was given sparking apple cider, which Cassie was also drinking. They clinked glasses, and after downing a good quantity of the contents they leaned in to kiss each other causing the others in the car to groan, and reach to save the drinks that were about to slip from their grasp.

When they arrived at the reception, the photographer tried to nab them right away for some formal pictures, but Jack insisted that they have some time to mingle and grab some food first. Sam was grateful as she was starving. Now that her morning sickness had let up it seemed like she was always hungry. 'I'm going to be as big as a house by the time these babies are born' she thought as she grabbed another appetizer. She caught Jack's eye as she nibbled and he came over to tease her.

"Should I have them bring you your own tray?" he quipped.

"You won't think it's so funny when I'm sending you out in the middle of the night to get me tacos," she warned.

"Tacos? Won't those give you heartburn?" Jack asked.

"Not if I wash them down with the chocolate ice cream that you will have stopped to get," she predicted.

"Ah, of course, that would make a big difference. So, Tacos, and chocolate ice cream? I can handle that," he promised with a kiss.

"I'm not guaranteeing anything. It could get a lot stranger before we're done," Sam cautioned.

"Stranger than walking through a wormhole and meeting little gray aliens?" Jack scoffed.

"No, probably not," she chuckled.

"Ok, then," Jack said guiding her over to talk her brother and his family.

Later as the celebration was in high gear, the toasts were given. Daniel and Janet toasted their best friends, each recounting non-classified anecdotes about them and their stubborn devotion to duty that had kept them apart for so long. Jacob toasted his daughter and the only man he trusted with her life. Charles similarly toasted the new couple, welcoming Sam into the O'Neill family. Hammond got up and recounted their first meeting and how the sparks had flown. He admitted that by the end of that first day even he had put money into the pool on how long it would be before those sparks ignited and the two got together. Finally it was Jack's turn.

"As you all know, speeches are not my forte. But Sam and I would like to thank you all for coming and sharing this incredible day with us. For the one or two of you that haven't heard, Sam is pregnant. And we have a couple of baby updates to share with you all. First, her due-date has been moved up to the last week in January, January 25th to be exact, which just means that January 25th is the one date that she probably won't give birth on. But more importantly, being the overachiever that she is, we found out on Wednesday that we are having twins," he announced to an overjoyed group.

Hugs and kisses and congratulations were just winding down when Colleen commented to Jack, "You do know that this is justice finally being handed down from on high, don't you big brother?" When he looked at her in confusion she added, "Now you could easily have your very own set of honest to goodness Bobbsey twins!"

The newlyweds were late for brunch with their families the next morning, which caused a few knowing smiles. Of course the grin on Jack's face may have had something to do with those as well. Once he was deep in conversation with his brother Patrick, Kathleen cornered Sam.

"I see you haven't lost your touch. My brother looks totally off balance this morning," she teased her new sister-in-law.

"Well I had to make up for falling asleep on him last night," Sam admitted with a rueful grin.

"You didn't! On your wedding night?" Kathleen exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Oh, believe me I did. Although it was Jack's fault," Sam accused...

The night before, as the two of them had finally made it to the bridal suite she had felt her energy starting to lag. But after carefully removing her necklace, earrings and the wreath from her hair, and having Jack unfasten her dress, she had taken her overnight bag into the bathroom determined to rally. She had carefully hung up the dress, and changed from the white bridal lingerie into a sinful, short black lace negligee that she had picked out just for that night. By the time she went back out to the bedroom she was feeling better, especially when she saw her husband standing by the lit fireplace in just his dress pants, having removed his jacket, shirt, shoes and socks. God he had a gorgeous body. She moved over to him, ready to seduce those pants right off of him. Jack however had other ideas. He knew Sam was exhausted, and he had a game plan to ensure she relaxed and got a good night's sleep. So he lifted her in his arms and carried her over to the turned down bed, placing her gently in the middle. Then after removing his pants so he was clad just in boxers he joined her. When her hands started to wander over his body he stopped her and told to just lay back and enjoy. Normally his cleaver hands and lips had her moaning as her climax raced through her body. Tonight, after slipping the scrap of black lace that barely qualified as underwear off of her, he set a totally different pace, and she felt a warmth begin to steal slowly over her body making her feel wonderfully lethargic and serenely gratified. Before she knew it, her eyelids began to feel like there were weights attached, and with a sigh she drifted into a very contented sleep.

As the morning light flickered across her eyelids, Sam reluctantly began to wake up. Slowly the events of the previous day came drifting back, causing her to smile as she let herself relax further into Jack's embrace. The wedding, the reception, the wedding night.... DAMN! She stiffened in Jack arms, and he too began to stir.

"Good morning," he murmured.

"I am so sorry," she said, burying her head into his shoulder.

"For what? Being exhausted? Sam, I knew you were tired. That's why I told you to just lay back and relax," Jack admitted.

She pulled herself up so she was leaning on one elbow and could look him in the eye. He wasn't kidding. She shook her head in amazement. She should have known that Jack would put her needs before his. He may not be much for spouting words of love, but his actions always made up for that fact, and she was never in any doubt about how he felt about her. And right now if the light that had just appeared in his eyes was any indication, she was lusted after. Of course the way she was leaning over him was giving him an eyeful of cleavage. She gave him a wicked grin as her free hand feathered down his chest until she found the waistband of his boxers.

"Well then, it seems that this marriage has yet to be consummated," she pointed out, sitting up a bit so she could use both hands to tug his boxers off. "A situation that needs to be remedied as soon as possible," she insisted, as she slid the lace negligee over her head.

A split second later she had been flipped onto her back and Jack's lips were hovering over hers, his body pressing her delightfully into the softness of the mattress, his hands eagerly gliding over her soft skin, until they discovered that she ready for him.

"I guess I'll just have to make you officially mine immediately then, Mrs. O'Neill," he whispered as their bodies joined to blissfully complete the promises made the day before.

Much later in the shower, Sam had staked her own claim of ownership on Jack's body, causing their tardiness, and the bemused grin Jack was currently sporting...

Sam turned to Kathleen with a smile.

"I was exhausted and Jack lulled me to sleep. So we had a wedding morning, instead of a wedding night. It worked out just fine," she grinned.

Kathleen's laugh turned to a look of concern. "How are you doing, Sam? This has been a hectic week for you, and in your condition you need to take it easy," she warned. She remembered Jack telling her that Sam's illness could be triggered by stress.

"I'm fine, Kathleen. Honest. A bit tired, but that's to be expected. Jack makes sure I get plenty of rest, and I have all of next week to spend in bed. Of course I don't plan on wasting all of that time in bed sleeping," Sam admitted with a wink. "Hey I have an ultrasound picture. Do you want to see it?" she asked.

"Heck yes!" Kathleen exclaimed.

A few minutes later Sam was surrounded as she pointed out the two distinct small bodies in the black and white image. Patrick and Jack turned from where they were talking to see what all of the commotion was about. Patrick shook his head as he watched the women's excitement.

"Sam had better not be giving Erin any ideas," Patrick complained. "I'm way too old to be changing diapers."

"Hey! If you're too old, what does that make me?" Jack pointed out.

"Crazy?" his brother suggested.

"Probably, but it's a good kind of insanity," Jack insisted.

Patrick nodded his understanding. Jack was lucky to be getting a second chance at a family. "And I'm really happy for you. I'm just saying I'm glad it's you and not me."

"Are you sure? Because, you could all come for a visit in the spring and lend a hand for a week or two. Erin could get her baby fix," Jack suggested.

"Nice try, brother dear. I'm sure you could get Kathleen or Colleen to fall for it though, so don't give up!" Patrick assured him as he headed over to separate his wife from the baby madness.

Charles took the opportunity to wander over to have a chat with his son.

"Well, you two sure know how to stir up excitement" he chuckled, looking over at the gaggle of females now discussing labor and deliveries.

"Wouldn't want life to get too dull," Jack responded with a grin.

"I don't think you need to worry about that for another 20 years or so," Charles guaranteed him. "I remember Colleen and Eileen seeming like they could get into 10 times more trouble than either you or Patrick did as toddlers, and they were girls!"

Their attention was momentarily diverted back over to the gossiping females by laughter. Maureen was obviously telling a 'terrible twins' story, as both Colleen and Eileen were looking embarrassed. Sam turned at that moment and caught Jack's eye, and for a split second Charles saw the emotions that passed between the two before Sam turned back to the storyteller.

"You know Jack, I want to apologize for all of the grief we gave you when we first found out you were getting married again. Your mother and I were very wrong to judge Sam before we got to know her. You two are obviously very good for each other," Charles admitted.

"Thanks Dad. And you are right at least on my part. Sam makes me incredibly happy," Jack replied.

"I think it's safe to say she feels that same about you, Jack. We can all see it," Charles assured him.

The rest of the morning was spent chatting and catching up with everyone. It would probably be a long time before Sam and Jack would be able to get together with their families again, since by the holiday's Sam wouldn't be up to traveling or entertaining. Eventually it was time to check out of their rooms and get everyone back to the airport for their flights home. Jacob would be the only one staying, so he could attend the SGC reception later in the day. At 13:00 Sam and Jack finally pulled up into their driveway. Sam was looking forward to a nap before she had to get dressed for the next party. When they got to the front porch, Jack stopped her. After unlocking the door he swept Sam up into his arms.

"Jack, your knees!" Sam protested.

"Even pregnant with twins you still weigh next to nothing Sam," he assured her as he carried her over the threshold. He set her down and gave her a light kiss. "We are going to work on that next week up at the cabin. Lots of healthy food, and plenty of rest remember? Now go take a nap, I'll get everything out of the truck."

Meanwhile, at the SGC, organized chaos reigned. General Jumper had spent the night in one of the VIP suites, and after touring NORAD in the morning, was now getting to see the Gate in action as several of the off-world guests were arriving. Hammond was greeting them, along with SG9 led by Major Kovacek who was in charge of escorting the new arrivals to the surface. The other available SG units had spent the morning setting up the tent, table, chairs, and a dance floor.

Now the officers were all changed into their dress blues and were welcoming the guests, making sure that they got something to drink. General Jumper had been introduced to several allies that he had previously only read about in reports. Bra'tac and Ry'ac had arrived several hours ago and were with Teal'c. Lya and Nafrayu of the Nox had arrived a few minutes ago, and Gairwin and several other Cimmerians were currently being led away by two members of SG9. Garshaw and Per'sus of the Tok'ra were due in ten minutes. Jacob Carter had just joined the group in the control room to be on hand to greet them. That left just Commander Thor, who would be beaming in any moment as well. General Jumper was anxious to meet the ally he had read so much about. Suddenly there was a bright white light that caused them all to cover their eyes. When it had dissipated, a small gray creature was standing before them. Despite the reports, General Jumper still found that he had expected the important member of their powerful allies to be more imposing. Commander Thor looked like a strong wind could blow him away.

By 15:30 all of the guests had arrived and word had just been sent from the main gate that the guests of honor had arrived. A few minutes later the newlyweds, both dressed in their dress blues, were greeted by raised glasses and a toast to the bride and groom led by General Hammond. Over the course of the next several hours there would be many more toasts from colleges and allies, all wishing the two officers much happiness in their new life together, many of them also recounting their favorite Sam, Jack, or SG1 embarrassing moment. Sam had been handed a glass of champagne upon entering the tent, and occasionally raised it to her lips barely sipping, not wanting to cause any suspicion just yet.

The evening so far had progressed without any intergalactic incidents, a fact that the two generals were both relieved over. The variety of food and drink had managed to appease all of the diverse tastes, and their guests had all enjoyed partaking in the various Tauri wedding rituals such as the cutting of the cake. Thor had a particular fondness for the custom of clinking the glassware to demand that the bride and groom kiss, but Jack suspected that was just because Thor loved to embarrass him every chance he got. After the bride and groom had danced the first dance to a romantic tune picked out by the young lieutenant from SG12 who was the DJ for the evening, and Sam had made sure that Major Connors had taken a break from his duties to dance with Janet (Cassie had given two thumbs up), Jack grabbed the microphone and a hush fell over the crowd.

Like the day before, Jack thanked everyone for coming to help them celebrate, then smiled as he prepared to tell their other news.

"So, I have a couple of announcements to make. First, for those of you wondering how to address Sam from now on, she is going to stick to Carter on base, mostly because two O'Neills would just be too darn confusing, but also because I still call her that a lot of the time anyway," he admitted getting a chuckle from the crowd. "Second, we wanted to congratulate the winner of the wedding pool, Sgt. Davis. They have paid you haven't they? Yes? Good! Now who is going to admit to having the earliest date in the baby pool?" Jack asked. When nobody volunteered he turned to Major Griff. "I know people have been putting money down all evening. Who has the earliest date so far Griff?" he demanded.

"Lt. Hailey does Jack. She picked March 1st," Griff divulged.

"Lieutenant! You do know that I would have to be two months pregnant already to make that date, don't you?" Sam inquired acting shocked.

"Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am," Jennifer apologized looking embarrassed.

"Well don't be. Griff pay the lady off," Jack ordered.

A groan went up through the crowd, quickly followed by an excited murmur. Jack put an arm around Sam's waist and motioned for silence.

"Sam and I are happy to announce that you all get to start a new pool to pick the birth date, weight and sex of the O'Neill twins, who are due in late January," he revealed.

During the split second of shocked silence that followed, Major Griff whipped out some empty sheets of paper. "You did say twins, right?" he verified.

"Yeah, twins," Jack confirmed.

The rest of the evening turned into an even bigger celebration. People streamed up to the happy couple to offer their personal congratulations. Most could then be seen wandering over in the direction of Major Griff to secure their spot in the pool. When Lya and Nafrayu approached them to offer their best wishes the gentle Nox woman looked at Sam for permission and then placed her hands on Sam's abdomen and closed her eyes. When she opened them she smiled at the couple.

"Your children are strong and healthy," she assured them, causing Sam and Jack to breath a sigh of relief, both feeling that Lya knew what she was talking about.

"Thank you, Lya. That is wonderful news," Sam replied.

After a bit, Jack noticed Thor sitting off to the side chatting with Jonas. He grabbed Sam's hand and guided her over to where the Asgard was holding court.

"O'Neill, this news brings great joy to the Asgard," Thor announced.

"Thanks buddy. We are pretty happy about it, too," Jack grinned.

"Now you will pass along the genetic advances within you to a new generation," Thor explained.

"Hey and they get Carter's brains too," Jack pointed out.

"We had thought of that as well. Your offspring should be quite remarkable," Thor commented.

"Yeah, well, they are still going to be just little kids for a long time, so don't go getting any ideas about them helping you out," Jack warned starting to get a funny feeling about this conversation.

Thor blinked several times before answering. "Do not worry, O'Neill. It will be several generations before your race has advanced to that level. It is enough for now that your genetic code will continue on. We had been concerned that we might need to resort to cloning you to ensure that it would not be lost," Thor acknowledged.

"You can do that? Clone humans?" Sam asked in amazement.

"We have been working on it for just such an occasion. However natural procreation is much preferable, especially with a mate as advanced as yourself, Major Carter," Thor remarked with a small nod of his head.

"Glad to have helped out," Jack quipped, but in his mind he was envisioning a mini-Jack clone running around the SGC.

Somehow he felt like he had just dodged a bullet.

The weather during the first few days of their honeymoon was perfect. They spent their time wandering the trails, swimming, making love, and even doing a bit of fishing. Sam tired of that last activity pretty quickly though, which was why Jack was currently lounging on the pier alone, fishing pole in one hand, beer in the other. Sam had moved to a grassy area in the sun and had spread a blanket out so she could lay and read. Jack glanced over to see if she was still awake only to find that she had put her book aside, and flipped over onto her stomach to sun herself... topless. Darn! How the heck had he missed her removing her top?

Not that he was surprised. In the six months that they had been together, Sam had never been a prude as far as her body was concerned. And now that she was comfortable with the fact that the cabin was miles from every other living person, she had really loosened up. He'd had no problem getting her to go skinny-dipping the night before even with the moon shining brightly. She had happily gone along with the plan, swimming and splashing in the water that shimmered with silver light like she was a mermaid. It had more than fulfilled that little fantasy, especially when she had swum up to him and wrapped her legs around his hips, their bodies bobbing together in the gentle waves.

As a matter of fact, since that first night here when she had come out of the bedroom in an oversized and amazingly sexy Minnesota Wild jersey, she had seemed to delight in showing off her body to him when he least expected it. And just like now, he had responded each time with the enthusiasm of an 18-year-old. If he didn't know better, he would swear that she was spiking his food with Viagra. He took a swig of his beer, and told his overheated body to calm down, it was just her bare back for crying out loud. Just as he was getting himself under control, a movement made him look back at Sam, to find that she was on her feet and walking towards him, still topless. All rational thought fled to the point that when she stood before him holding out the suntan oil, he had no clue what she wanted.

"Jack! Can you put some of this on my back?" she finally asked him with an eyebrow arched in amusement.

But the few brain cells still functioning had already commanded his body to act, and a moment later Sam gave a squeal as Jack swept her off of her feet and carried her back to the blanket where he set about covering more than just her back in the oil. Later as they lay in each other's arms he finally found his voice.

"You are going to be the death of me," he warned her.

"You seem to be holding up just fine, so far flyboy," Sam chuckled. "Besides, you should enjoy this while you can. It won't be long before I'm too big for this kind of activity, and once the twins are born we won't have the time or the energy. In a year you will probably be begging for a little action."

"A year from now I will bring my family up here for a week's vacation. We will set up a playpen right over there under that tree in the shade, put the twins down for a nap, and you and I will make love again right on this very spot," he promised.

"Strategic planning always has been your specialty, and I really like that plan," Sam grinned, giving him a kiss. Then she jumped to her feet, "Now I'm getting hot. Let's take a swim," she suggested, pulling him up to stand beside her. Then she was off, running down the pier, and executing a perfect dive. He watched her gorgeous body slice into the water before he took off running to join her.

That was how they spent most of the next 4 days as well. Hammond had extended their leave to make up for the time they had given up before the wedding, so they didn't have to fly back to Colorado until the following Wednesday. As the days went by, real clothes were abandoned in favor of jogging shorts and t-shirts (which Sam wore bra-less unless they were actually jogging much to Jack's delight), bathing suits and birthday suits. So on Monday, when they woke up to rain, it was almost a chore to actually get dressed when they decided to roll out of bed and head into town to shop and have lunch. It was a good thing that they did though, because it had been a week since Sam had worn her jeans and she was shocked to find that she could barely zip them up. As soon as they got to town, she abandoned Jack to go find something she could comfortably wear home on the plane.

Before parting ways, they had agreed to meet at 13:00 for lunch at a small family diner. Sam arrived five minutes late, definitely more comfortable now that she was wearing a new pair of jeans that fit her correctly, and laden down with other packages. She spotted Jack before he saw her, and was startled to see him sitting in a booth chatting to a very blond woman who looked to be about his age. As she paused for a second Jack looked up and saw her. He instantly smiled and waved, and then as he realized she was carrying quite a load, he got up to help her with the packages.

"Sam, did you strip the stores clean?" he teased giving her a quick kiss.

"Just about," she admitted with a grin, relaxing as he untangled the bags from her grip. She should have realized that there would be people he knew here in town.

"Come here, there is someone I want you to meet," he said guiding her back to the booth. "Sam this is Kristen Anderson. I went to high school with Kristen and her husband Don," he explained. "Kristen, this is my wife, Samantha Carter-O'Neill," he proudly introduced her.

'Wife'. It was the first time she had heard him call her that, and she couldn't believe the thrill it gave her. Neither could she hide the delighted smile that appeared, which only grew when she noticed that Jack had obviously been equally as effected by saying the word.

"It's nice to meet you Kristen," Sam said, sliding into the booth to take the seat Jack had just vacated. Jack made to slide in next to her, but then realized that there were too many packages to handle. After a second's hesitation he excused himself to go dump the bags out in their rented SUV. There was a moment of awkward silence between the two women and then Sam broke the ice.

"So how long have you and Don been married?" she inquired politely.

"We married right out of high school. We are coming up on our thirtieth anniversary," Kristen replied with a smile. "I hadn't heard about Jack getting remarried. How long have you two been together?"

"Tricky question. The short answer is six months. We just got married a week ago Saturday," Sam told her.

"A week ago! Hey you're on your honeymoon!" Kristen deduced. Then she paused before asking, "What's the long answer?"

"We've known each other for six years and five months. I was his 2IC for almost six years before we started seeing each other," Sam explained.

"You're in the Air Force too?" Kristen questioned.

"I'm a Major," Sam confessed, and then when Kristen looked confused she added, "That's two ranks lower than Jack, who is a Colonel."

"What comes after Colonel," Kristen wanted to know.

"Brigadier General," Sam explained.

"I didn't realize that Jack was so high up in rank," Kristen admitted. "Don and I have seen him once and a while when he's been up here at the cabin, but he never talks about his job."

"That's because if I told you anything, I'd have to shoot you," Jack told her as he slid into the booth next to Sam.

"You didn't tell me you were on your honeymoon, either," Kristen complained.

"You didn't give me a chance," he teased. "You were too busy bragging about your new grandbaby."

"Wow, you're a grandmother?" Sam exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah, my daughter Karen just had a baby last week. A little boy they named Eric. That's why I'm in town today. I was stopping by to pick up a rocking chair we had made for her as a present," Kristen revealed.

Sam was instantly curious. "Where did you get a rocking chair made?" she queried.

"There's a fairly new store over on 3rd Street called Larson's. The guy is a real craftsman. He makes beautiful furniture," Kristen confided.

Sam looked at Jack pleadingly. "Ok, we'll check it out after lunch," he agreed to her unasked question.

The waitress came to take their order then, and Kristen got up to leave.

"Kristen, are you and Don free tonight?" Jack asked. "We could meet at Lundstrom's for dinner. Sam and I are only here for one more day, and I would love to see Don."

They settled on a time, and after Kristen left Sam inquired "How fancy is this place?"

"Casual, but no jeans, why?" Jack asked cautiously.

"I may need to do some more shopping," Sam informed him with a twinkle in her eye.

After lunch they headed out to find Larson's furniture store, and ended up spending several hours there picking out and ordering what they wanted. Kristen had been right, the pieces were lovely, and priced reasonably enough that even if they ended up having to pay a lot for shipping they were still getting a good deal. They ended up with two cribs, two rocking chairs (one for the nursery and one for their bedroom) a children's size armoire, and a small dresser with a detachable changing table on top.

Then Sam made a quick stop back at one of the stores to buy a simple dress she had passed up earlier. Much to Jack's relief, she only took fifteen minutes there, since she didn't need to try on the dress again. That gave them just enough time to go back to the cabin and get changed for dinner with his friends.

Lundstrom's was a well known local steakhouse, understated but quite lovely, and Jack assured her that the food was great. Once the other couple arrived, Jack introduced Sam to Don Anderson, and she once again glowed when he called her 'his wife'. Once they had placed their orders Jack set about catching up with his old friend. While Jack and Don chatted, Kristen quizzed Sam on her afternoon shopping.

"Did you find anything you liked at Larson's?" she asked catching Jack's attention with the store name.

"I really need to talk to you about giving Sam shopping tips," he said rolling his eyes.

"Uh, oh! What did you buy?" Kristen chuckled looking at Sam with a raised eyebrow.

"She furnished the entire nursery. I'm going to need to hire a truck to get it all back to Colorado," Jack complained good-naturedly.

"Nursery?" Don exclaimed. "Is there something you haven't told us?"

"Sam is pregnant. We're having twins in January," Jack announced with a grin.

"Oh *we* are?" Sam teased. "I'm so glad you are giving birth to one of them!"

Jack looked slightly sheepish. "Sam is having twins," he corrected. "I'm just along for the ride."

"Wow, twins! Congratulations. You two aren't wasting any time," Don commented. "But then Jack isn't getting any younger, so that's a good thing."

"Look who's talking Grandpa," Jack replied.

The rest of the evening passed quickly. Sam really liked the couple, who she found she had a lot in common with. Don had a passion for rebuilding anything with an engine, and Kristen's Dad had been in the Navy until she was in Junior High, so like Sam she had moved around a lot as a kid. Plus Sam got to hear some great stories about Jack's antics in High School.

The next day Sam and Jack spent straightening up the cabin and packing. It was while they were finishing up the latter that Sam suddenly froze and placed her hand on her abdomen. Jack instantly panicked.

"Sam, what's the matter," he demanded, dropping the bag he had been taking out to the SUV and hurrying to her side.

She turned to him with wide eyes and a look of wonder. "I think I just felt the babies move," she said softly, and then broke into a huge smile. "There they go again!"

She grabbed Jack's hand and guided it to the right spot, but admitted, "It's just a flutter. You might not be able to feel it."

Unfortunately she was right, but Jack was thrilled to see how incredibly happy she was. "They're just yours for now," he told her gathering her in his arms for a kiss.

The rain of the day before brought in some cooler air, so after dinner they gladly lit a fire in the fireplace and then made themselves a comfy nest of pillows and blankets so they could make love in the flickering firelight. As they snuggled together afterwards, they talked about going back to the real world.

"So I guess you won't be running around half naked as much when we get back," Jack said with a resigned sigh.

"Not unless you want me to give poor Mr. Carlson next door an eyeful," Sam chuckled.

"God, no. He'd probably have a stroke at his age," Jack conceded. "Although he'd die with a smile on his face," he added, earning him a poke in the ribs from his wife.

"I know this is hard to believe, but I've gotten so relaxed up here that I'm not even looking forward to getting back to my lab," Sam admitted.

"You're right. I don't believe it," Jack chuckled. "You'll be engrossed in some doohickey within five minutes of being back."

"Probably, but I do understand what you love about this place now. It's very easy to forget what we do for a living here," Sam acknowledged.

"Yeah, but I have to admit that this is the first time in a long time that I'm not ready to go back. Usually I am here by myself, and after a week, I'm bored and missing everybody. Mostly you," he confessed. "This time I feel like everything I need is right here. It's tough to remember why we need to leave."

"Because even though we are not fighting on the front lines anymore we are still needed to help with the war against the Goa'uld," Sam reminded him.

"And according to Thor, we are needed to populate the earth with little O'Neill's, which we could do right here," Jack countered.

"So we do both. You're the one that told me we can do anything together," Sam pointed out.

"Yes I did. So we go back, we kick Goa'uld butt, and we have half a dozen kids," Jack agreed.

"Three kids," Sam countered.

"Four," Jack bargained with a grin.

THE END

Continued in From This Day Foward